


Letters

by galapagos



Series: Molto Allegra [3]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition - Fandom
Genre: Original Character-centric, dealing with the past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 20:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6674953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galapagos/pseuds/galapagos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allegra and Fenris finally meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters

“I have something for you.” Varric said, stopping Allegra as she emerged from her debriefing with Leliana. He handed her a book, “Copy of my latest, thought you might like to read it.”

 

Allegra smiled and took it thanking the dwarf. She headed to the room she’d been assigned before she looked at the gift carefully. As she’d suspected there was a letter inside, addressed to her. She opened the letter and looked at the handwriting, not really reading the words, it was spiky and a bit sloppy. Then the meaning sunk in.

 

_Allegra,_

_Varric was able to get us word of you and your special talents. I have to say I’m surprised, Fenris never knew Danarius experimented with lyrium grafting with anyone else. He was hesitant to write, I however have no such qualms. I think the two of you should meet. He doesn’t know it yet but I’m coming to Skyhold and I’m dragging him along. So, you’ll get to meet in person. Yeah! Thought you might like some time to get prepared, as it will probably turn out like a family dinner where everybody starts screaming at one another and everything ends with tears and broken dishes._

_Best,_

_R. Hawke_

 

Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, had written her and told her she was bringing Fenris here. The last time Allegra had seen Fenris he’d been drugged and strapped to a table. Danarius and his lackeys had been comparing his markings with the ones they were planning for her. They’d made measurements, comparing and calculating finding the right position for each line by comparing ratios. They then etched them into her skin first with ink, laboring over each line and curve. She clearly remembered Danarius explaining to her uncle that he planned on using over 87% less lyrium on her markings. He’d been downright gleeful when they’d discussed how he’d been able to cut it down. She hadn’t understood and hadn’t cared too. She was going to be covered in lyrium whether she liked it or not.

 

The design of the markings was fine, like a spiderweb of lyrium over her arms and hands. The analogy was appropriate, she’d been designed for stealth. She was a spider, a silent killer. Once they had finished tattooing the base lines, they had made her rest for a few day, giving the skin some time to heal. It would make the process easier her uncle told her.

 

If waiting had made it easier, Allegra didn’t want to know what harder would have been like. The magic was a mixture of blood magic and physically burning the lyrium into her skin. The total process took under two hours, which she was told was significantly faster than the first attempt, but it felt like an eternity. The pain was beyond anything she’d ever experienced. She’d wanted to die, to black out, anything to make it stop. When it was over, they gave her something to drink that knocked her out.

 

When she woke, the very first thing that happened was an apprentice asking if she knew who she was. When she told the woman her name, she’d run out of the room and fetched Danarius and her uncle. They came and questioned her. Assured her mind and memories were intact they congratulated themselves and left her to recover. She’d hobbled over to the mirror in the corner of the room to look at herself. She could see the marks on her arms and feet but she needed to really see them.

Allegra had gasped. They had shorn her hair short just before the procedure. It had been a curly mass of dark brown, almost black hair. Now it was pure white. Just like the elf’s hair. Her lines began to glow faintly. All the black was gone, replaced by a blue-white lines snaking around her hand and arms. They almost seemed to dance as they began to glow. Allegra watched in horror as they seemed to twist and writhe, she’d wanted to vomit and nearly did. Then the door opened behind her and the woman from earlier came back in. She made Allegra get back in bed and gave her another sleeping potion to drink. Unconsciousness had been a welcome alternative to being awake, one she’d continued to seek out for many years.

* * *

 

Varric lead Allegra and the Inquisitor in a long in a meandering path through Skyhold to a small isolated part of the battlement. It looked like it had been some kind of observation balcony at some point, as you had to go through a small room to get to it.

 

“Inquisitor meet the Champion. Champion meet her Inquisitorialness,” Varric said by way of introduction for two of the most important women in Thedas.

 

Hawke was a little under average height for a human woman, but exceptionally pretty with dark hair and startlingly blue eyes. Her dark hair was cut in a messy crop that framed the delicate features and high cheekbones of her oval face. She was even wearing that famous smear of blood-red makeup over her nose.

 

“Whoa, Varric not so loud. I thought you were hiding me from this Seeker of yours,” Hawke said, hands on hips her tone brimming with sarcasm.

“I am, precious, I am. Cassandra would skin me alive if she knew you were here,” Varric replied with a grin.

 

“I’m going to have to meet this woman.” Hawke caught sight of Allegra lurking in the doorway, “Oh! You must be Allegra. Fenris, come over and be sociable.”

 

Allegra stepped out and saw the elf leaning against the wall, scowling. He was wearing very spiky armor.

 

“You two play nice and no fighting.” Hawke came over and gave the man a little shove towards Allegra then pulled the Inquisitor into the small room they had just come through and shut the door. Varric had gone with them.

 

“So you’re the Tevinter with the lyrium markings,” he said bitterly.

 

Everything about him seemed bitter, his tone, his expression, the light in his green eyes, even his posture. He had slumped against the wall again as soon as Hawke had left, and crossed his arms across his chest. He peered up at her through a thick curtain of white hair.

 

Allegra was neither amused nor flustered. “I am. Your’s look different than I remember.”

 

“You remember?” he asked, genuinely surprised. He even lifted his head up had looked directly at her.

“Yes. They brought you in and used you as a comparison when they did me. You were drugged though. We never met,” Allegra said.

 

“But you remember before the markings?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How?”

 

“They tested a different way of doing the ritual on me, the effects were- different. I don’t really understand any of it.” Allegra pulled off her gloves and jacket. Fenris stepped forward and held up his arm next to hers. The markings on his skin were wide and angry compared with the fine white network of markings she had.

 

“Only on you arms and feet? But we have the similar abilities?”

 

She nodded, she couldn’t begin to imagine what it must be like to have the marks all over her body.

 

“Yours are all over.”

 

He was more powerful than she was and they had different skill sets, but the basic functions of the lyrium marks remained the same.

He nodded, one slight downward movement indicating she was correct, as he leaned back against the wall, folding his arms again. They were silent for a moment standing next to each other and looking out at the mountains.

 

“You killed Danarius?” she asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good,” she was relieved, and slumped with her back against the wall.

 

If he was alive he’d be doing this to more people to aid the Venatori and Corypheus. Danarius’ death was in Varric book, but she’d been afraid it wasn’t quite true.

 

He looked at her, his eyes wide. “You’re glad he’s dead? But you’re a Tevinter, your uncle is a Magister.” He spat the last word.

 

“Who do you think had this done to me? I don’t have any magic, and I didn’t exactly get a choice. They told me and then they did it.” It was her turn to sound bitter. “You don’t question the head of the family. Besides, Danarius was a sick bastard. My uncle should never have helped him.”

 

“Why did he? I didn’t know Danarius worked with anyone on his little projects.”

 

“He was not as wealthy or as powerful as he pretended. Apparently, he’d sunk most of his money into developing the marks in the first place. He needed House Pavus and its deep, deep coffers to fund his experiments and his lifestyle. My uncle, Nerus, was interested in the potential gain. It was a match made in hell and I got the lyrium markings as part of the bargain.”

 

Fenris laughed. “My old master was a fraud. How fitting.”

 

The stood in silence again for a moment, then Fenris said, “Your hair isn’t white.”

 

“Actually, it is but I dye it. I’ve been in hiding and the white hair stands out.”

 

“Oh,” He chuckled. It was warm and pleasant.

 

Just then Hawke and the Inquisitor came back out.

 

“You’re both alive, lovely!” Hawke said sarcastically. “And look how well you’ve been getting on, best friends already.”

 

“Hawke.” Fenris said. He dragged the first syllable out in warning.

 

Hawke gave him a sweet smile as she remarked, “Your hair isn’t white.”

 

“I dye it.” Maker, why was everyone suddenly fascinated with her hair?

 

Fenris’ mouth twitch in a small smile that he quickly tried to suppress, it made Allegra smile. Hawke grinned, and sidled up next to the elf wrapping an arm around his waist. She leaned her head against him just below his shoulder spikes and sighed, looking out at the view.

 

Allegra turned to leave but Fenris said, “Wait.” She turned back he was standing his hand out to shake hers, “I’m glad we met.”

 

“As am I.”

 

They shook hand firmly, their lyrium marks flickering slightly on contact. Hawke was behind him, beaming. She was obviously very much in love with the elf, and saw shaking hands with a Tevinter as a big step for Fenris. Allegra smiled at them both and left to go find Dorian.


End file.
